Apparatus for breaking and grading made tea-leaves or the like.



PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

H. M. ALLEYN. APPARATUS FOR BREAKING AND GRADING MADE TEA LEAVES OR THELIKE.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 19. 1902.

C] fro-Lung HENRY HATHEXV ALLEYN,

Patented April 11, 1905.

PATENT @TFTCE.

OF MASKELIYA, CEYLON.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING AND GRADING MADE TEA-LEAVES OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,066, dated April11, 1905.

Application filed July 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,225.

To 117/ whom, it lH ll/f/ concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY lla'rnnw AI.- Lm'N, planter, of Moria Cotta,Maskeliya, in the Colony of Ceylon, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Breaking and (trading Made 'lea-Imaves orthe Like, of which the following isa specititration.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus and machinery forcutting, breaking, grading, or sifting made tea-leaf or other suchsubstances; and it consists, first, in the designing, application. anduse of rollers set in suitable frames rotated over or under or over andunder a layer of made tea-leaf or other such substances spread on asieve or perforated surface for the purpose of cutting, breaking,grading, or sifting made tea-leaf or other such substances, and therebyreducing it to any desired size according to the size of the mesh orperforations operated on; second, in the designing, application, and useof certain forms of tightening apparatus for the purpose of keeping themeshed or perforated surface or the attachments thereto on or underwhich the rollers work in a state of tension, and thereby increasing theintensity of the vibration and the sifting or grading action of suchmeshed or perforated surface.

In the drawings annexed hereto and which are to be read as part of thespecification the same roference-numerals are used to indicate likeparts in the ligures in each sheet.

Figure 1 shows a plan of a sifting and grading machine fitted withstationary trays and movable breaker-rollers litted in a suitable framewhichcan be worked by hand orv power. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofsame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, to enlarged scale, of a springattachment for keeping the under roller in contact with the under sideof the sieve.

In the drawings the faces of the rollers are shown straight andcorrugated; but they may be curved or rounded and be plain, faceted,fluted, or of any regular or irregular pattern, and they are worked byrotating by hand or power over a layer of made tea-leaf or other suchsubstances spread on a sieve of any desired size of mesh, one rollerbeing shown working in contact with the under side of the sieve.

Fig. 1 shows in plan, and Fig. 2 in elevation, a tea-grading machinewhich can be worked by hand or power and consists of a horizontal frame,of any suitable material, made up of four side pieces 30, two at top andtwo at bottom, joined to end pieces 31, and six standards or uprights32, on which is superimposed a small frame 33, which carries thesieve-hopper 3%, the main sieve 3.5, and the rollers 36 and 37. Thefront of the hopper is supported on each side by standards 38 and theback part by two adj Listing-screws 32), working in nuts at), attachedto top of frame, which permits of the sieves being adjusted to anydesired incline. The spindles of the rollers 36 and 37 are connected bya rod T1, the roller 3;? being pressed up against the under side ofsieve 3% by means of a plate-spring .2, attached to under side of roda1, which is hinged in the center T3, the forward end of theplate-spring a2 being fixed to rod, the other end being free to pressthe roller up against the under side of the sieve, the pressure beingadjustable by means of thumbscrew 4E2 abutting on bar 41 a little beyondhinge 43.

The working gear consists of a shaft 4A, revolving in bearings 45,attached to top bars of frame, said shaft having fitted on it fast andloose pulleys i6 and &T, with belt U for power working. On each end ofshaft 11 are litted two eccentric wheels having coggcd faces 18 and 49,one on each side, which are connected to spindle of breaker-roller 3G byrods and 5t, so that rollers 36 and 37 are moved to and fro at eachrevolution of shaft 44. For working by manual another shaft 59., havingpinions 5i, and 51, which gear with the eccentrics a8 and $9, is mountedin suitable bearings and 51 attached to top of frame, saidshafthavingcrank-hamlles 57 and 78 for working by hand. The eccentricsa8 andTQ are litted on shaft 4A by means of fixed keys; but the pinions53 and 5% are loosekeyed on shaft 52, the keys being countersunk in theshaft to permit of the pinions and 5% being thrown out of gear by forkedlevers 59 and when working by power. Two pinions are shown, but whendesired one will sufi ice. WVhen it is intended to work solely by power,the arrangement described for working by hand may be dispensed with,together with the part of the frame on which it is seated.

Two other methods may be used for working this machine by hand: (a) byattaching the straight portion of crank 58 to eccentric-pin 71 outsideconnecting-rod 50 and (b) by cranking shaft 44, as shown by broken lines72. When either of these methods is used, the arrangement abovedescribed, with its framework for working by manual, may be dispensedwith and the face of the eccentrics a3 and 49 need not be toothed.

To prevent rollers 37 from sagging, aloose wheel 67 fitted ontheroller-axle at each end, rests and revolves on bar 68 as it travelsto and fro under hopper-sieve 34'.

To work the machine, the tea-leaf or other such substance is fed intothe upper end of the sieve-hopper 34. On turning thehandles 56 and 57the roller 37 moves to and fro under and against the sieve 34, whichthrows the mesh into a state of quick vibration. The tea is therebysifted, the coarser leaf passing out into a receptacle 69 at toe ofhopper 34, while the small leaf falls through onto main sieve 35, whereit is broken and sifted by the action of rollers 36. The fine brokenleaf sifts through onto a fine-meshed stationary sieve 61, whence itrolls down into box 62. At the same time the dust passes through sieve61 and falls on guide 63 and thence into dustbox 64:. Any large leafunbroken on sieve 35 passes over lip 65 and falls into box 66.

Only two rollers are shown; but more may be used by lengthening theframe and connecting the axles of the rollers by rods. Further, therollers may be made stationary by seating their axles in bearings on afixed bar andthe sieves given a reciprocative motion by fitting themwith an axle and a pair of wheels at each end and the wheels made totravel over a fixed rail on each side.

I do not limit myself to the exact apparatus and machinery hereinbeforedescribed, as such may be varied considerably without departing from theprinciple or the essence of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of myinvention and in what manner the same is to beperformed, I declare thatWhat I claim as novel and for which I seek protection is 1. Thecombination with a sieve-hopper, and a main sieve 35, adapted foradjustment to a desired incline, of rollers 36, 37, the spindles ofwhich are connected, said rollers being arranged to cooperate with thesieve in the hopper and the main sieve, and means for varying thepressure of the roller 37.

2. The combination with a sieve-hopper, and a main sieve 35, adapted foradjustment to a desired incline, of rollers 36, 37, the spindles ofwhich are connected, said rollers being arranged to cooperate with thesieve in the hopper and the main sieve, and means for varying thepressure of the roller 37, and means for preventing sagging of theroller 37.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at ()0- lombo, inthe Colony of Ceylon, on the 12th day of June, 1902.

HENRY MAT HEWV ALLEYN.

WVitnesses:

E. L. MoRnY, S. A. FRERA.

